CSI: The Grissom Holiday
by robh702
Summary: Grissom and Sarah go on holiday to the UK and become involved in helping to solve a murder case.
1. Chapter 1

**CSI: The Grissom Holiday**

It is a warm day with a slight breeze in the UK town of Minehead. A quaint English town by the sea where Sarah and Gill are enjoying a nice quiet break away from their usual everyday life. The only resemblance to Vegas this town as are its couple of amusement arcades.

This town in the English county of Somerset, famous for cheese, cider, and caves, has sea air, a few shops and for an English town is very clean, especially on a nice sunny day. One of the town's other offerings is the tourist railway of twenty miles in length called the West Somerset Railway. It is known as a heritage line running trains behind steam locomotives.

"So what are we going to do today?" asks Sarah while drinking her breakfast orange juice in their nice furnished hotel room.

As he sips his tea Gil replies, "Let's take a trip on the old English steam train. We can do a return journey and get off at a little place called Watchet on the way back for lunch."

"Cool," says Sarah in response.

Grissom's association with all things English came from his meetings with his nemesis Lady Heather. It is a far cry from the insects and bugs world he usually inherits.

Being outside the main holiday season the train has few passengers. It is quiet much like the typical scenery they pass, quite picturesque on the cream and brown coloured coaches with blue patterened springy seats and wooden interiors with windows arching over probably due to age. They are pulled by a black tank steam engine number 9351....it has no name. It steams well and pulls them all the way to the end at Bishops Lydeard before pulling them back towards Minehead.

"It's certainly nice to get away to a quiet place," comments Sarah as the smell of sulphur from the trains coal burning boiler is caught in the air.

"Reminds me of an open coal fire, ahhhhh. It is a nice idea. These trains are reminders of yesteryear. Long hours, hard labour," says Grissom.

"Yes," replies Sarah, "nothing much changes except for the jobs that we do."

"At least the coffee is more drinkable."

The train finally arrives at Bishops Lydeard, before the engine is run from the front of the train to the back to pull it in the other direction. They photograph each other on the footplate complete with train driver hat. After taking a look round the gift shop, Grissom admiring the train models, and purchasing one, they reboard the train for the return journey,

On the return journey, Sarah has her head on Grissom's shoulder. Both at ease with each other and very very happy. They get off the train at the little harbour town of Watchet, to stretch their legs, have a look round the little shops and have something to eat in a little cafe.

Grissom tries the pasty and chips while Sarah tries the fish and chips. She is surprised to see that the chips resemble large fries. After lunch where he has also had english tea they both walk along the esplanade slowly taking in the boats and the yachts dotted around before turning right to walk up to the train station.

"Afternoon," says the gardner.

"Hi there, glorious day to be out gardening," says Grissom in reply to the greeting.

"Indeed it is," Dave the gardener responds.

Dave, meanwhile has worked his way to the edge along side the banked garden on the station platform. He notices a hand sticking out from under it and being of a curious nature, he moves a fre branches aside and finds a white male body staring back at him. The man is clearly dead, "Bloody hell," he shouts, "someone call the police, there a dead man under here."

Both Grissom, whose hearing had been repaired a few years before, and Sarah hear the man's shout. He sends Sarah to get the old lady in the gift shop to phone the police, while he goes to take a look himself.

"You wouldn't want to look in there, better to wait for the police," Dave tells Grissom.

"I am with the crime lab in Las Vegas in the states. I am crime scenes investigator," Grissom informs him, "and so is Sarah, my partner."

"Well you can look, but I doubt the police will be happy if you start moving or messing with things. Its all those cop shows we have, don't you know."

"Thanks, I am just curious to see whats happened."

Grissom takes and look and notices the stab wound to the chest and he also notices the lack of blood. "Well, on first look, it looks like murder, there is a stab wound to his chest and secondly, this isn't where he died."

They both step back onto the grey stone platform where Sarah has reappeared complete with the old lady from the shop. Soon police officers in their traditional white english shirt, black tie and trousers and modern day stab vest arrive. They take notice of the situation, and seal off the area around the crime scene, taking statements from the two CSIs and Dave and the old lady Grace. Then they wait for the detectives, forensic experts from Somerset police and the police doctor to confirm death.


	2. Chapter 2

CSI Part 2

The detectives arrive in the form of DCI Katy Jackson and DC John Owen. DCI Jackson is thirty-seven years old, five foot ten inches with dark hair, blue eyes and dressed in a dark blue skirt suit. DC Owen is thirty-three years old, six foot two inches tall, of a medium build with dark hair and brown eyes dressed in a beige shirt with black trousers.

"Okay, so what have we here then constable," DCI Jackson addresses one of the officers.

"Its a male body maam, found in the hedge by the gardener, a man called Dave Bridges. Those other two are American, from Las Vegas. They are apparently two crime scene experts over here on holiday over here in our fair isle. "He deems to have looked himself and says it is a murder but not committed here. Something about lack of blood drops. He apologises if he overstepped the mark by taking a look. His name is Gil Grissom and her name is Sarah Sidle."

DCI Jackson thanks the constable and goes to speak to Gil and Sarah.

"Good afternoon, I am DCI Jackson of West Somerset Police. How are you?"

"We are fine thankyou. Its a very quaint town you have here. Weren't expecting a dead body to pop up," answers Grissom.

"Yeah, it kinda sucks a little," comments Sarah.

"Well my constable tells me you are crime scene investigators from the US."

"Yes we are. Taking a bit of a sabbatical at the moment."

"Apparently, you took a look at the scene," she says pointing to Grissom. "Care to give me your assessment?

Well I can only tell you what is fairly obvious," responds Grissom, "that it looks like murder. The victim has been stabbed in the chest and there is a decidedly lack of blood. He definitely wasn't killed here."

"Thank you. This is DC John Owen, he will take a statement from you and your contact details. Where are you staying?"

"We are staying at the Glendower House Hotel in Minehead," answers Sarah.

"Thank you. I know it well. Mnehead is fairly quiet as a tourist town goes."

"Well if you need an expert on bugs, just call Gil I am sure he will be happy to oblige. Won't you dear?"

"Well, yes, if I can be a help in anyway feel free to ask. Oh and everyone calls me Grissom."

"Thankyou, I am Katy," says the DCI. "I will let you get back on the train. Unfotunately we have had to hold it up so the passengers have been on there three hours. It will be allowed in, in a minute. Enjoy the rest of your trip."

"Oh, one more thing, I also do sign language as well as my crime scene skills," Grissom informs her.

The train pulls into the station very late. The locomotive a long green powerful steamer called 'Braunton'. Grissom is impressed by this engine. It is immaculate. And with their goodbyes, Gil and Sarah step onto the train for the journey back to Minehead.

"That CSI guy is multitalented," DCI Jacksn tells Owen, " bugs and sign language."

"That is impressive and slightly eccentric," Owen coments.

The two detectives speak to all the other witnesses and once the forensic experts have everything they need, the pathologist moves in and takes the body, which has allowed the train in.

"I will need the autopsy report as soon as possible doc," the DCI tells him.

"It will be first on my list, once I get back to the morgue," Doctor Tony 'Bones' Lessing replies. He is five foot eight, broadly built with greying hair in his late forties and one of the best coroners in the country. "Obviously stabbed, so at this moment in time it looks like murder."

"Thank you doc, that American fellow said the same thing."

"Well he must know his stuff."

The doctor then gets in his car and follows the van carrying the victim to the morgue in Taunton.


	3. Chapter 3

Part 3 CSI

The following day in receipt of the autopsy report, the DCI sets out to fid out who murdered the man lying on the slab in the morgue. The report stated he had died of a single stab wound to the chest, straight to the heart and instantly fatal. Orange fibres were found in the wound and sent to Gil and Sarah in the forensic science lab. The coroner had also stated the knife used was about four inches long with a narrow blade.

One phone call later, she discovers the scientists at the lab are all off sick. They had all been out for a curry the night before and had been struck down by food poisoning. It was going to be a few days before they would be back at work.

"Oh shit," she exclaims.

"What's up?" asked a male detective constable.

"The lab is all laid up sick," she replied. "I'll have to go tell the Chief Super."

And with that she trounced off to give him the bad news.

"You are joking, aren't you?" the Chief Super exclaimed loudly.

"No joke sir," replied DCI Jackson.

"Well all the evidence will have to be sent to the nearest lab for processing. Could be ages before we get the results back."

"There may be another option," she tells him,"there were a couple of forensic experts from the States who might be able to help us at the scene yesterday."

"Hummph! Would be a unique situation. They are trained and knowledgeable I presume. Let me speak to the CPS lawyers and I'll get back to you in a few minutes." Her boss John Dunn told her.

DCI Jackson returned to her office and waited while he chatted to the CPS. She didn't have to wait long for a response.

"The CPS have agrees to the two experts from the States helping out processing evidence in the lab. It's a unique situation. Speak to them first, get some information about their work and then phone their former workplace in the USA. Make sure they are who they say they are first."

So off she went to carry out his tasks. First of all she telephoned Gil and Sarah at their hotel. When she reached them, she told them what had happened and that all the local forensic scientists were off sick for a few days.

They agreed to help and gave them the number of the number of the Las Vegas crime lab. She checked it against a number on the internet. It verified, so she called it.

"Good morning, this is DCI Jackson calling from West Somerset Police in England."

"New England?" enquired Professor Ray Langston.

"No, England, Europe."

"Ahhh," he said, "What can I do for you?"

"I believe you had two forensic scientists who used to work there by the name of," checks her notes, "Gill Grissom and Sarah Sidle?"

"Yes I believe I have heard the names. And I have met Grissom."

"That's a start. How were they at their jobs?"

"Hmmmm, let me see. I am new here. Will just ask. I can say however that Grissom is and excellent CSI." He then consults Catherine Willows who takes the phone from him.

"Hi, DCI Jackson?" she enquires, "I can vouch for them both as excellent CSIs. Why do yo ask?"

"Oh they agreed to help with a murder case I am working on if I needed it and I certainly need it. I am ringing to check them as our lawyers require it."

"Well there are no better pairing who are that capable. Give them my regards won't you? I have to get back to work, its very busy here."

"Thankyou. I shall tell them you said 'hello'. Hope you have a good day."

"Thankyou. Have a nice day too."

And with that they both put their phones down,


	4. Chapter 4

CSI Part 4

The DCI drive off to the Glendower House Hotel. The police station in Minehead only usually had drunks and speeders etc to deal with as well as the odd case of shoplifting.

Grissom and Sarah were waiting for her at the door as she pulled up. The weather was windy but not cold, unless you had been walking by the seawall down to the Butlins Holiday camp.

"Thank you for helping to get me out of a hole."

"Don't thank us yet," said Sarah. "We haven't done anything. Thank us once the case is solved."

DCI Jackson smiled. "Your former boss lady speaks very highly of you. She send her regards."

"Cool," replied Sarah.

"I left her with capable hands," chimed in Grissom.

With that they drove to the Taunton forensic lab arriving some thirty minutes later. DCI Jackson gave them a guided tour. The CPS had arrived, and given them advice on the handling of the evidence. Once this was done two hours later the evidence was placed before the two scientists including dirt samples, and the victim's clothes. These were his jeans, boxer shorts, socks and trainers together with the orange fibres sent over by the coroner.

"This feels weird, being in an English lab. Definitely brighter than our old Vegas lab," comments Sarah.

"Well here goes, lets see what we can discover from the evidence."

They examine the dirt first. Nothing special or unique about it. Its chemical composition is then faxed to a lab in another county for British expertise. No physical evidence to help the enquiry there, not even congealed blood from the victim's wound.

Next they look at the orange fibres under a microscope. Again they get a chemical composition for the dye used in them. These are thick fibres perhaps used for curtains. Together with the chemical composition they fax this evidence also to the other lab which the DCI had given them for help with British knowledge.

The fax machine beeped an hour later. Turned out the fibres are from curtains as they had suspected. These however were synonymous with students used up and down the country.

"Well that gets us nowhere,"says Sarah.

"At the moment it is useless. But,"contimes Grissom,"it will have context."

And with that, after a few hours they take a break and pass what they have learned so far to the DCI..

She meanwhile brings them up to speed on the progress of the investigation. Her two detectives had spent an hour or so knocking on doors close by the station trying to ascertain if anyone had seen anything.


	5. Chapter 5

**CSI Part 5**

The detectives had got nowhere. They had nothing to go on. Until now that is.

The coroner's report had arrived. It stated there was the stab wound which had penetrated the heart and that the victim also had a high level of alcohol in his blood stream. Nothing unusual for a student.

With a picture of the deceased the detectives slowly drove around Watchet looking for houses with orange curtains. Without enough evidence for a warrant they could only count on co-operation.

Eventually a grey stone dwelling in Quantock Road came into view. This had orange curtains so DC John Owen got out of the car and knocked on the door.

"Good evening sir," he said to the occupant, "my name is DC John Owen and this is DC Tim Smith of West Somerset Police."

"Evening officer, how can I help?"

"We are investigating a murder sir. The victim was found at Watchet Railway Station last night." Showing the man the picture he asks, "do you know this man sir?"

The man takes a good look at the photo, focuses his eyes and tells them the name of the victim. "My god," he says, "that is Giles Shanklin. He lives in a bedsit upstairs."

"Really? Would you be able to identify him if we took you to the morgue? Err Mr?"

"James, Anthony James," he replies. "Yes I could do that."

"We will also need access to his room to start with and any communal areas." DC Smith informs him.

"I am not the landlord. You will need his permission, a Mr Brian Tole."

"We don't need permission sir, you have just told us he lived here. Can you come out of th house and bring all other residents with you. Our Scene of Crimes officers will need to go over it."

DC Owen relays his conversation back to DCI Jackson. She goes off to fetch Gil and Sarah but not before telling Owen to get the house cordoned off and prevent anyone but the scientists and herself from entering,

At the lab Gil and Sarah put together a lab kit. The DCI also points out that they will need to take white coveralls to put on when they get to the house.

When they finally arrive at the house Grissom says, "this is a first for us. Usually we only wear shoe covers."

"Still it is a good idea, perhaps we should adopt it in Vegas," comments Sarah.

They then enter with the kits they have made up from items in the lab. At first they do not find anything. They then reach the deceased's room. With the key obtained from the landlord they unlock the door and enter. There are a few flies in the room. Together with the blood spatter on the wall and the large pool of blood, they know they have the crime scene.

Grissom calls DCI Jackson up to the room. The smell is overpowering to most but not Sarah and Gil or the DCI. "What the blazes, I haven't seen that much blood in a while."

"Well we can safely say this was the murder scene. He was stabbed here. The spatter on the wall proves it although of course we need to match it using DNA to make sure," Grissom tells the, "can you pass the camera? I will take photos and then the samples of the blood."

"And would you look at that. Only one orange curtain. One seems to be missing," surmises Sarah checking the window more closely. "And above the window is a bloody fingerprint."

It then all gets documented, samples taken, fingerprints lifted and then they return to the lab. The blood swabs are couriered to the lab at Bristol for DNA analysis, something the two scientists got used to being done for them in Vegas.

With a fresh pot of coffee and some food from a garage on the way back, they get stuck into their work.

First the finger prints, the victim's are all over the room. It takes a couple of hours to go through them. Next up is the bloody fingerprint. They find it doesn't belong to the victim but more likely the killer.

"Hello, DCI Jackson? This is Gil. I have many prints from the room which all belong to the victim. The bloody one found on the painted wall next to the curtain rail is not his and therefore very probably the fingerprint of his murderer. We are awaiting DNA results from it."

"Thank you. In the meantime I shall be asking the residents of the house to submit their fingerprints and DNA. The one who refuses is likely to be his killer. Then it will be a matter of getting a warrant for his prints an DNA."

The three remaining residents are bought to the police station for questioning. Witness statements are taken. Two of them offer their fingerprints voluntarily and the third reluctantly agrees, especially after Anthony found out the other two had.

Grissom meanwhile, told them the murder had been committed, three to four days before the body was found. He backed up his facts with evidence that maggots were present in the blood.

The coroner's report also backed this up. It was now up to the police to find someone who held the key to the case.

Once the statements were done, DCI Jackson read each one individually. By the time she had finished, she was none the wiser. She then sent her two detectives back out to Watchet to interview the neighbours and take statements from them.


	6. Chapter 6

**CSI Part 6**

The victim lived at number forty-six. At number forty-four the neighbour was only too pleased to tell the detectives the problems at number forty-six.

"Oh yes, we have had quite few problems with those in that bedsit next door. Late nights of loud music, drunken behaviour, girls screaming and just five days ago a really horrific scream," the neighbour Jenny Farmer informed them. "Nothing seemed unusual. We would have phoned the police only they either never show up or take hours to get here."

"Really?" asked DC Owen. "And what time did you hear the scream five days ago?"

"About midnight," she replied.

So the detectives too a few notes and asked her to visit the station to make a statement. Her husband she was told would have to come and give a statement when he had finished work.

"But how do I get there?" Mrs Farmer enquired.

"We will give you a lift," replied the DC.

And with that they all traipsed off. With three hours written copies were on the DCI's desk.

Not only that, but the bloody print found on the wall by the curtain rail had been identified as belonging to Anthony James. They were now waiting for the DNA tests to back up the fingerprint.

"Now all we need is a weapon," commented Sarah.

"Well we didn't find it in the house," Sarah pointed out.

So Grissom rang the DCI and asked her if she would mind taking them back to the house so they could search the outside of the house.

Once at the house, with police tape still in place, they began the search of not just the bins but the overgrown garden as well. A team of officers had arrived and they were lined up in a row next to Gil and Sarah and they walked slowly down the garden. The DCI watched in fascination and in hope.

"Found something," shouted one of the officers.

Grissom ambled over to look. There in the long grass was a knife with blood on it. It was four inches long. There came a shout from the officer searching the bins. At the bottom he had come across an orange curtain.

"And this is the last piece of the jigsaw," said Grissom to DCI Jackson.

"I hope so," she replied.

"Lets get these back to the lab for analysis and hopefully we will find the evidence you need for an arrest," he responded.

Once back at the lab, the two CSIs went to work. With some more fresh coffee they began to work on the knife, matching it to a mould of the wound they had asked the coroner to supply.

"One step at a time," Grissom tells Sarah.

Then they take swabs of the blood on the handle and blade. These are sent by courier under police guidance to the Bristol lab. It was to be a good twelve hours before they got the results back.

Sarah while Grissom had been working on the knife carried out tests using the microscope to match the orange curtain fibres from the body to the curtain. Then she swabbed the blood on the curtain sending the swabs with the ones Grissom had done.

Once they had gone as far as they could, a police constable drove them back to the hotel. They then slept till ten in the morning before waking to a phone call from DCI Jackson saying she had the results.

"Well the results weren't as expected," she told him.

"I shall be over to treat you to lunch in three hours. Just finishing up a few loose end," she stated.

Grissom and Sarah spent an hour in bed kissing and making love. They then showered and dressed before having the hotel bring them coffee, orange juice and some toast.

Just after one in the afternoon, DCI Jackson arrived. "Good afternoon Grissom, Sarah. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, thank you," Grissom replied.

"Forensic work makes you tired," Sarah said grinning at Grissom.

"Well lets go to lunch in a quiet cafe I know just a few yards from here," suggests DCI Jackson.

Over lunch in which they all had a traditional Cornish pasty, followed by a delicious Somerset cream tea, DCI Jackson told them of the night and the morning she had had.

"At six this morning we got the results back. They were not quite what we were expecting."

"Ahhh," comments Grissom, "this is why I love science. It is full of surprises."

"True," continues DCI Jackson, "the DNA came back to a Carrie Edwards. Well that from the blood on the handle of the knife."

"Let me guess, lovers tiff?" asks Sarah.

"Well guessed. Her and Giles were having an argument, when it got heated and she well, lost it. She gave a statement after we picked her up this morning."

"And based on the science, Anthony James, I take it helped her dispose of the body?" from Grissom.

"Correct, he confessed after we told him about his bloody fingerprint in Giles' room. Carrie has been charged with murder. The cuts on her hand stating she had held the knife. Anthony though will be charged as an offender under our second degree accomplice laws."

"Well that is a result," says Grissom jubilantly.

"Yes and thanks for your help in the lab etc. It has been much appreciated," says DCI Jackson smiling. "You'll be pleased to know the lab guys are all returning to work. A bit upset they missed the case. I can't thank you enough."

"No thanks needed. It was a pleasure to work for you," states Grissom.

And with that they left the cafe. The DCI returned to work. Grissom and Sarah returned to their holiday go-karting at the arcade.


End file.
